The Seminoles (25-6, 12-4) are in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in the last 14 years and will host the first and second rounds for the third time in the last four years.

They will welcome in an Arkansas-Little Rock (23-9, 17-1) team that won the Sun Belt Tournament last week after nearly finishing the regular season undefeated in conference play.

FSU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 12-6 record against Top-50 RPI teams while Little Rock is 2-5 against Top-50 opponents.

This will be the first time these two programs have faced each other.

How FSU wins

With Little Rock's methodical offense trying to limit possessions and keep the game close, FSU will look to force turnovers to get out in transition and hit the offensive glass to keep possessions alive. The Seminoles forced 17.4 turnovers per game and averaged 15.4 offensive rebounds per game this season.

How Little Rock wins

Little Rock would pull the upset behind a heroic defensive effort. The Trojans hold opponents to an average of 53.7 points per game, sixth-best in the country. In their 68-56 upset of Oklahoma earlier this season in Little Rock, the Trojans held the Sooners to 37.7 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Little Rock would need a similar performance to keep this game competitive into the closing minutes.

Quotable

"They are scrappy and play hard. They do a tremendous job," FSU head coach Sue Semrau said of Little Rock.

"They are a team that is very patient offensively and are going to make you play defense for a long time."

Little Rock coach Joe Foley, on what sets the Seminoles apart:

“Athleticism," he said. "They love to run up and down the floor and they are very good athletes who play at a very fast pace.”

Stat of the Game

Little Rock ran through Sun Belt play, but in three non-conference games against SEC opponents (LSU, Texas A&M and Mississippi State), the Trojans lost all three by 15-plus points and by a combined margin of 208-134. Considering FSU is a higher seed than two of those three teams, this lends some perspective on what Little Rock is up against.

Key to the Game

For FSU, the key is to get off to a fast start. As you see so often during March Madness, underdogs can gain confidence the longer they hang around against a higher-ranked team. If FSU is able to open a significant lead by the end of the first quarter, it will be in great shape.

X-Factor

Chatrice White will be looked to as the leader of the Seminoles' rebounding efforts. The senior center has feasted on inferior teams this year, averaging 12.7 points and 8.8 rebounds -- 3.4 offensive boards -- against teams not from major conferences.

FSU in the NCAA Tournament

The Seminoles are 22-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with 21 of those wins coming in Semrau's time atop the program. FSU has been to the Sweet 16 five times (2007, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017) and the Elite Eight three times (2010, 2015, 2017).

Prediction

The Seminoles have never lost an NCAA Tournament First Round game under Semrau and I expect them to keep that streak alive against the Trojans. Florida State's size will prove to be too much and FSU will gradually pull away for an 80-54 victory.